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Dual credit courses give teens a head start on college

DuPage County parents may be surprised to learn that Advanced Placement, or AP, classes aren't the only means for a head start on college. Dual credit classes - offering both high school and college credit at the same time - actually provide advanced preparation for college and career success to an even broader range of students. How are they different?

AP courses are developed and administered by the College Board, a nonprofit group. The three dozen courses available are nearly all in the liberal arts and sciences, designed for the advanced student and taught by seasoned high school teachers. At the end of the course, students pay a fee to take the AP examination and, depending on the score achieved, may receive college credit and/or advanced standing by a college or university.

Dual credit means a student is enrolled in a college-level course while still in high school. The curriculum is aligned with an existing course at a partner college or university and taught by a high school teacher approved by that institution. The student's final grade appears both on the high school record and on a newly generated college transcript.

As DuPage Regional Superintendent Darlene Ruscitti describes it, "Dual credit allows students to enter college ready to become immersed in their major, exploring their potential career at a deeper level immediately."

Technology Center of DuPage - the Career and Technical Education campus operated under a joint agreement among 14 DuPage school districts - has been offering dual credit to students since the turn of this century. Its main dual credit partner is College of DuPage, with additional agreements through Kishwaukee College and Northern Illinois University.

Students enrolled in TCD's career-specific electives can earn anywhere from three to 46 college credits, depending on the course and length of enrollment, at no cost to the parent or student. The credit earned is transferable to a substantial list of colleges and universities that accept College of DuPage credit. At the current COD tuition rate of $140 per credit hour, parents and students can potentially experience tremendous savings.

Gabriella, a Glenbard North student, enrolled in TCD's cosmetology program as a junior.

"It's a really cool opportunity," she said during an interview with Addison Community Television. "When I graduate from high school, I'll be a sophomore in college. Things can move fast, but you save a ton of money and you're already halfway there."

Through TCD, Gabriella not only earned her state cosmetology license, but she also obtained all 46 hours of dual credit the two-year cosmetology program offers. She also had taken an additional college speech class at the COD Addison Center after school.

As a result, by the time she graduated in 2014, Gabriella needed only six COD classes to obtain an associate degree. She is on track to graduate with her associate of applied science degree in May - one year after her high school graduation, at a savings of nearly $6,000 in tuition. She plans to continue her postsecondary education, using her cosmetology license to help fund a bachelor's degree in business.

In addition to the obvious cost savings, studies show that students who earn college credits while still in high school are more likely to be successful in college, including completing a bachelor's degree in a more timely manner. The five-year degree completion rate for students with dual credit has been 59 percent, greater than the six-year rate of 50 percent for students with no dual credit.

CTE courses like those at Technology Center of DuPage are uniquely positioned to address college and career readiness. They have always given students the opportunity for industry certification and equipped them with the occupational and employability skills necessary for success in the workplace. However, by reinforcing the academic rigor of the curriculum to align with college-level courses, CTE dual credit classes open doors for students who may have thought college was out of reach. The outcome is more students pursuing postsecondary education with confidence.

• Jim Thorne is director of the DuPage Area Occupational Education System, the governing body for Technology Center of DuPage and other CTE delivery sites in the region. See tcdupage.org for participating member school districts and more information about TCD's advanced CTE electives, dual credit, and industry certifications.

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